Wrench



w. GORDON.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUGH'SO I919- Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

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WILLIAM GORDON, UNION, NEW JERSEY.

"WRENCH.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GORDON, a citizen of the United titates, anda resident of the town of'Union, county of Hudson, and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches,ofwhich the following is a speci fication. j j 7 j p This inventionrelates to improvements in wrenches. g

One object of this invention is to produce awrench which is not onlycapable of quick manipulation but also has means for permitting fineadjustment or tightening up upon a nut or the like to any desireddegree.

Another object of my invention is to produce a wrench in which one ofthe jaws is capable of the. fine adjustment proeurable by the use ofascrew or worm and may also, by the simple manipulation of a triggerlikeelement be released from operative engagement' with the screw or worm soas to permit rapid or quick movement of the jaw to full open positioneither by gravity when the wrench is held in proper position or by handin other positions.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a screw-adjusted wrenchof the characted above described, a spring which is adaptedautomatically, upon the releasing by said trigger-like element of thescrew from operative engagement to instantaneously move the jaw to fullopen position, thus procuring quick and positive movement to suchfull-open position while the wrench is held in any plane.

Still another object of my invention is to produce a wrench of thecharacter above specified in which one of the jaws is movable andadjusted by means ofa screw having suitably disposed threads :yieldinglyretained in operative engagement with suitable rack-teeth on saidjaw,whereby thejaw may by direct contact be moved from open position toclosed position without actuation of the releasing means for the screw,the screw being automatically released during such closing movementtopermit the teeth of the rack to click over threads on said screw intoan approximate or initial position for grip- Specification of LettersPatent. Patented Feb, 21, 11922, Application filed August so, 1919;Serial No. 320,8?8.

similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views,

' Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section of a 'wrench embodying myinvention, the section being taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a section on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a slight modification illustrating thejaws provided with oppositely disposed teeth or serrations and adaptedfor use on pipes.

Referring now to these drawings, 1 indicates the head of a wrenchhaving, as illustrated, an integral handle 2 and stationary jaw 3 andalso provided with a cavity 4, the walls of which are provided withoppositely arranged ways 5v in which a movable jaw 6 is adapted to slidetoward and away from the stationary jaw 3 so as to permit the grippingof an object between such jaws.

Said jaw 6 is, as illustrated, provided with side grooves 7 cooperatingwith the ways 5 to permit the inward and outward sliding thereofrelatively to the stationary jaw 3, and said jaw is furthermore providedat its rear edge with a rack 8 preferably having, as shown, teethinclined rearwardly, which are normally retained in operative engagementor in mesh with an adjusting or actuating worm or screw 9 having athread which is inclined in the opposite direction to said rack-teeth.Obviously the rotation of the worm or screw 9 in one direction willcause the movable jaw to approach the stationary jaw or move from opento closedposition, while rotation of the said worm or screw in theopposite direction will cause an opposite or opening movement thereof.Any suitable means, such as the slot 10 and pin 11, may be employed tolimit the relative degree or extent of movement between the said Stationary and movable jaws. 7

It is a great desideratum to provide a wrench which is capable of aquick initial adjustment of the jaws for the purpose of approximatelyfitting the objects, such as nuts, pipes and the like, on which it is.desired to operate and which is also capable of fine adjustment for thepurpose of finally tightening up upon such object. I therefore providemeans by which the movable jaw 6 may be readily and quickly releasedfrom the line 22 of engagement or operation by the screw or worm 9 so asto permit independent and quicker manipulation thereof than wouldbepossible by means of such screw adjustment,v and I furthermorepreferably provide means operable upon the release of the jaSv-Gfromsuch actuating'screw 9 for automatically moving the movable jaw to fullopen position. I also furthermore prefer ablyprovide means whereby thethread on the screw may, during a closing movement of the wrench, benormally retained in yielding contact with a rackon the jaw, so that themovable jaw may be moved from open to closed position by direct contactw thout operation of the screw-disengaging device, and the teeth of therack will be causedito click over. the screw thread which willact as aretaining pawl therefor and'will automatically latch or lock'the'jawinan approximate nut engaging position after which the same may be quicklytightened up or finally adjusted by the use of the said screw. Withthese ends in view, the screw 9 is mounted in an opening 9 in the'head'1, and is'arranged to be movable outwardly and out of engagement orcontact with the rack 8 so as to release the jaw 6 from'fthe lookingengagement of said .screw.

' which extends transversely through the'head 1 andthe innerend of saidspindle. The

V lowerend of the-spindle is mounted to move laterally in a longitudinalslot l4=formed inthe said headand preferably has an extension end12extending-beyond the head and adapted to serve as a trigger orfingeractuated part for moving the screw 9 pivotally upon its pivot 13and out of engagement with the rack 8 to release the jaw 6. The screw 9is preferably yieldingly forced into engagement with the rack by meansof the flat spring 15 which, as illustrated, is connected at one-side tothe extension end-12 of the spindle 12,and also bears at its oppositeside against the wall of the slot 1 1. The screw 9' which, as aforesaid,is rotatably .mounted on the spindle 12 is thus yieldingly held inengagement with the rack S, and it will be obvious that upon applyingclosing pressure on the jaw 6, the-teeth of the rack 8will-automatically force the spring-pressed screw 9'and spindle 12 toswing outwardly in an arc about-the'pivot 13 andthe teeth of such rackwill click over the thread of said screw and'.teeth on the rackwill-automatically-lock the jaw against movement in the oppositedirection, and the relative dispositionjor inclinations of said threadand rackteeth will enable a -more ready and more positive automaticrelease and looking than would otherwise be the case.

When it'is desired to procure a quicker opening of a jaw thanis'required by the rotation of the screw), a pressure on the extension12 of the spindle against the iiaction of the spring 15 will causeanimniediate freelng of the screw from engagement with the-rack, andthejaw 6 may then obviously be opened and if the wrench is held in'o'neplane will be automatically moved by gravityintoppen.pbsition It isdeslrable, however, in orderQtoJsecure quick manipulation, to cause'the'saidfjaw I upon the freeingfofthe raclr as. aforesaid to be moved tofull open; positionautomatically while the wrench isin any position, andfor thispurpose'I provide a spring the screw 9 and thus assist in: theretention '16 which, as illustrated, is seated atfone 7 end in a socket17in the aw 6.. and" has its and automatic locking'of the jaw Ginan'ydesired position to which it; is movedxas hereinabove described. 3

In Fig. 4 have illustrated a sh ht -modification of the device, in whichgurethe jaws 3 and 6 areprovided withiserrations 3 and 6* respectivelyso as toradaptathe wrench more particularly for use-on pipes, rods orother similar roundaarticles, .In other respects the wrench .is the sameas that illustrated inFigs. l,f2,and..3.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a-wrench, a suitablehandleya head,

jaws one of which is movable relativelyto the other in said head, a rackon saidmovable jaw, a screw spindle pivoted atone end.- in

said'head. and extending outwardly beyond said head to forma finger' grp, Wanda.

screw rotatably mounted onsaidspindlei-adjacent to the rack and adaptedto engage the same to move the jaw upon. rotat1on and also movable bythe spindleoutwardlygand away from said rack to 'release the jaw.

. 2.' In a wrench, a suitable handle,aa head, jaws; one of which. ismovable. relatively to the other in said head, a rack on said mov-' ablejaw, a screw spindle pivoted .at one end in said head and extendingoutwardly beyond said head to form a finger -.grip, and a screwrotatably mounted on said spindle adjacent" to the rack andadapte'dhandle, ahead,

ieo

jaws one of which is mounted in said head to move relatively to theother a rack on said movable jaw, a screw spindle pivotally mounted atone end in said head adjacent to said rack and having a finger-gripextension at its free end extending beyond said head and movableoutwardly and away from the rack, a screw rotatably mounted upon saidspindle and adapted to engage said rack when its spindle is in oneposition and to disen age the same when moved to another position andadapted when in engagement with said rack to move the jaw upon rotation,a spring at the opposite end of said screw spindle for forcing the screw15 yieldingly into engagement with said rack, and a spring for forcingsaid jaws into full open position upon manipulation of the saidfinger-grip extension.

In witness whereof, I have signed my 20 name to the foregoingspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

T'VILLIAM GORDON.

Witnesses:

JOHN KLOEPPING, FRED. GABRIELSKY.

